Fire rescue bag



Patented June 5, 1923.

HARRIETTE E. Hon'esoiv, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE RESCUE BAG.

Appli'cation'filed June 18, 1921.. Serial No. 477,873:

a bag by means of which adults or children can be lowered safelyfrom a burning building. Another smaller form ofthe device'is adapted to be carried on the liremans back for rescuing infants. The bag has flexible sides-and bottom of suitable strong material, fabricated sov as to produce a doubled or multiple thickness at'the bottom with the seams above the bottom where they will not pull out. Externally the walls of the bag are restrained and reinforced by the ropev netting, to which is connected either the lowering means or the means for strapping upon the back. Other features of the forms of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming. a part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a face view of the form of the bag which is lowered, the lowering cable being shown broken away at intervals to indicate an indefinite length;

Fig. 2 is a view looking at right angles to l ig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is "a view ona small scale showing the device in use for lowering a person from a burning building;

Fig. 4 is a section through the lower portion of the bag;

Fig. 5 is a face view of the smaller form of the bag, which is adapted to be carried upon the back;

Fig. 6 is a view looking at right angles to Fig. 5; and I Fig. '7 is a view showing this form of the device being carried upon-tho back of a fireman. I

Reference will first be had to Figs. 1 to 4.

The bag proper, designated 1, is of a flat oblong form, adapted to be lowered down the face of a building without catching on projections, and is preferably made of some strong textile fabric treated with asbestos. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the bottom and the lower portions of the sides are made in a double thickness by carrying each side down up the other side, so that the two parts overlap, the ends being secured tothe side walls by stitching l atia substantial height above the bottom where the stitching isnot subject to special strain. is open, thoughfastening means might be providedif desired.

The bag is enclosed by a network 3 coinposedof a multiplicity of vertical cords 4 V and horizontal cords 0 connected in a rectangular mesh. The vertical cords are pref.-

-erably knotted to the horizontal cords, as

indicated at 6, and knots 7 in the horizontal around the bottom and for a suitable distance The top of the bag cords at opposite sides of each. knot 6 keep the members from displacement on each other. Eyes 8 are sewed to'the upper portion of the bag, and through these pass the verti cal "cords, which arethus held against displacementjonthe bag. Other eyes9 on the edges-or narrow sides of the bag have the horizontal cords passed through them, and

still other eyes 10 at the bottomconfine the horizontal cords at this region.

The vertical cords are extended above the. top ofthe bag and are brought together in two groupsll, ll atoppos'ite sides of the center of the wide sides of thebag, each in the knot 14. From the knot 14, one-half 16 of the strands included therein is extended outward to a knot 17, and the other half 18 is extended across to a corresponding knot 17 at the opposite side. In like manner one-half 16 of the strands from the knot 14 is extended outward to the knot. 17 and the other half 18 is extended across to the knot 17. The multiple strands 18 and 18 where they cross, are knotted at 19.

In this way a very strong arrangement is f secured and one which tends to keep the net spread. The multiple strands 16 and 18 at one side, and 16 and 18 at the opposite side, constitute a first pair of flexible grasping or lowering handles.

The lower portion 20 of a multiplestranded lowering cable 21 is looped through the middle of the cord assembly constituted by the upward extension of the vertical members of the bag network. This cable is of any suitable length, depending upon the height of the building in which it is to be used, and is provided at convenient intervals with pairs of loop members 22 for convenience in lowering.

One of these bags is of a size to contain and completely enclose a person, or even two persons, and several children, and together with its network is of such strength as to hold them beyond any possibility of disaster. The manner of lowering the bag thus 7 loaded from the window of a burning build.- ing will be obvious.

The smaller torm 1 of the bag shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is of like construction and is provided with a generally similar network 3*. This form illustrates the fact that the vertical and horizontal cords of the network at the intersections may be passed through common eyes 25 on the outside of the bag, knots 26 being tied in both cords at opposite sides of the eye to prevent displacement. Other eyes 27 and 28 may be used toward the narrow sides and at the bottom. The two cordsof the network at each side are extended upward through other eyes 29 on the bag, near the top, and are united or made continuous to form carrying loops 30. Two cords 31 are disposed on the front side of the bag, extending diagonally upward and inward from the network at the opposite ends or narrow sides of the bag to the loops 30. These cords 31 constitute shoulder loops through which the fireman passes his arms, as shown in Fig. 7.

Two rope or strap members 32 are also secured to the network at about the middle height toward the opposite ends or narrow edges of the'bag, these members being adapt ed to be tied around the body of the fireman as seen in the said view. In the lips of the bag cords 33 are provided for tying the top of the bag so as to keep the child from climbing or exposing its head. If desired,

itlhe 1fireman can put the loops 30 over his eac.

Additional ropes 5 may be attached to the form of bag shown in Fig. 1, for the purpose of holding the persons in more securely and making the bag easier to handle. These cords, and more particularly the upper ones, may be used for tying the person or persons in the bag, and if allowed to hang free they may also be used as handles for drawing in the bag when it comes opposite a lower window.

I claim:

1. A fire-rescue device comprising a flat bag of flexible material, an enclosing network of vertical and transverse strands, the

vertical strands being brought together in elements of said net relatively to said bag is prevented.

A fire-rescue device comprising a bag of flexible material having each of two of its opposite sides extended downwardly around.

the bottom of the bag and upwardly along the other of said two sides and secured to said other side at a point above the bottom,

thereby providing a double bottom with seams at the sides and above the bottom, and a reinforcing net enclosing said bag.

HARRIETTE E. HODGSON. 

